Scum Class, Now Boarding

I’m flying out for the MacTech conference in LA tomorrow. Today was the first time ever, I think, that I upgraded my seating in advance, explicitly, instead of as a spur-of-the-moment thing at checkin because I was tired or the kiosk offered me a deal.

I don’t care so much about the extra six inches of legroom. I just wanted the Group 1 boarding. Even that isn’t precisely the big Get: I just want to avoid those tiny little cuts when I get my boarding passes and find out that I lost the big lottery. Group 4: scum class. “You may board after every category of desirable passenger has already seated themselves and stowed their luggage.”

I don’t fly enough to rate upgrade rewards and even if a speaking committee offered me First Class tickets, I’d probably ask them to put me in an aisle seat and coach and we could split the price difference in class.

I wish airlines had a sort of Frequent Flier program just for seat upgrades. Like, after I’ve bought $X worth of Group One Boarding privileges, I can spend some of my points and get to board the plane with the soldiers on my next flight.

So why did I do this ahead of time?

Because I’m old and tired. Or, maybe more experienced and wise. Whatever, I’m encouraging myself to look at experiences that I dread and try to identify elements of it in which the awfulness is largely voluntary. So this time, I’m paying for early boarding, and I’m taking an afternoon flight from a regional airport instead of leaving at oh-my-god o’clock to get to an 8 AM flight from a larger airport that everyone’s trying to get to, all at once.

(I am a mental powerhouse. I only have to keep my hand on a hot stove for twenty years before I give oven mitts a try.)

2 thoughts on “Scum Class, Now Boarding”

Have you considered your credit card strategy? There are several cards out now that offer more in airline fee reimbursement (including upgrade fees) than they charge in annual fees. Not saying you should fall down the Points/Miles hole like I have (although we’d love to have you, the other people are great and you get to travel) but a little strategery can get those seats for free. My GF and I are going on a trip this fall and I just got reimbursed for our $120 in Delta upgrade fees.

Long time listener, first time caller, love your content (esp all the great podcasts).